The night before they were planning to leave, Klaus was searching the house for Reagan. Not being able to locate her in the house, he decided to take his search outside. He wandered around the large farm and came upon a greenhouse. Opening the door, he scanned the area but still could not find Reagan. He was just leaving when he heard a small, frail voice.
"Hello Klaus," Eda stated, her eyes fixed on a tray of seedlings in front of her.
"I'm sorry," Klaus apologized. "I didn't mean to disturb you."
"You're not bothering me dear," the elderly woman waved off his concern. "I was actually wanting to discuss something with you."
She turned to her workbench and picked up a pair of pruning shears. Turning her attention to a some rose bushes, she started trimming away dead leaves and wilted blooms carefully.
Klaus walked further into the greenhouse closing the door behind him, "What did you wish to talk about?"
"Mostly about you and Reagan."
"What about us?"
She was silent for a moment, the only sound in the greenhouse the quiet snipping of the shears. Klaus watched her, almost mesmerized by the meticulous movements at which she cared for the roses.
"Roses are beautiful," she finally stated, not taking her eyes off of them. "Don't you agree?" she asked, finally looking at Klaus.
Klaus cocked his eyebrow, not quite sure what prompted this statement. Eda stared at him expectantly, waiting for a reply.
"Yes?" Klaus finally confirmed still confused.
"They're quite difficult to raise too. It takes a lot of time and patience. All the hard work eventually pays off and they mature into the beautiful blooms before you."
Suddenly, realization hit Klaus. The roses were a metaphor for Reagan.
"Ma'am," Klaus began, "I love your granddaughter very much. I understand she's been through a lot but I am being patient with her and giving her as much time as she needs."
Eda looked at Klaus for a moment considering his words before finally speaking.
"That's very nice dear but what does that have to do with my roses?"
"What?"
"I was talking about my roses and you started talking about Reagan."
"I thought you were using the roses as a metaphor."
"Why would you think that?"
"The whole needing time and patience thing and being beautiful?"
"I don't see the connection."
Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose, "What were you wanting to talk to me about?"
"Oh right!" she exclaimed, snapping her small fingers. "You love Reagan correct?"
"Yes, very much," Klaus stated sincerely. "We haven't been together very long but I already can't picture my life without her."
"You know, Otmar and I weren't together very long when we got married."
"Really?"
"Yeah, we were only together a couple of months when Otmar proposed," she sighed softly, reminiscing on that time. "That was a wonderful night. We went for a walk in the woods near Oak Tree Town and found a beautiful, secluded location next to a waterfall. Otmar had packed a picnic for us. I spread out a blanket and we took a seat under a nice shade tree to eat. Afterward, he proposed."
"That's a nice story ma'am," Klaus replied with a smile.
"Then we started making out. We were going at it pretty hot and heavy too!"
"Um...That's nice ma'am."
"The nice part came afterwards when he hitched up my skirt and pulled off my panties."
"I really don't need any more details."
"He was gentle at first but soon the mood took him over and he started pounding me harder than I have ever been..."
"I should really go find Reagan ma'am!" Klaus interrupted.
"Oh! I'm sorry dear. I forgot what we were talking about," Eda replied.
"I kind of noticed," Klaus commented, clearly uncomfortable.
"Anyway, there is a tradition around here that you should give a blue feather to the one you intend to marry," she pulled the silver chain from around her neck, a blue pendant dangling from it. "This was the one that Otmar gave me many years ago. I would like it very much if you would give this to Reagan when the time's right."
Klaus inspected the pendant further finding it to be some kind of blue stone, intricately carved to look like a feather. A delicate silver rod ran up the center of the feather, forming the rachis. Smaller silver barbs protruded from the central rod, forming vanes separating the vanes carved in the blue stone.
"It's quite lovely, Eda. You barely know me though. I can't accept this."
"Klaus, Reagan is very important to me and I love her very much. I don't have much time left and Otmar is, well, Otmar is Otmar. It would mean a lot to me if you would give this to her. I wouldn't be able to go onto the next life without knowing whether somebody will always be there for her or not."
Klaus considered her words carefully before holding out his hand. Eda placed the pendant gently in his hand. The silver chain following it to form a small puddle of cool metal.
"Otmar actually made that pendant for me out of a lapis lazuli that he had found while mining. He said that as soon as he found it that he took it as a sign from the goddess that he needed to ask me to be his wife."
Klaus dangled the pendant in front of him mesmerized by the swirling colors within it.
Klaus placed the necklace securely in his pocket before turning his attention back to the smaller woman, "I will keep it very safe until the day that I give it to your granddaughter."
"Just remember that it is to go directly to Reagan. If you break up for whatever reason, you still give it to her. If I find out you have given it to someone else I will reincarnate myself into some form of badger and bite your testicles off."
"Um...thank you?" Klaus said hesitantly.
"No, thank you," Eda replied with a smile.
Eda thought quietly for a moment before speaking again.
"You know, I might know where Reagan is. There's an old wooden swing down by the barn. It's barely visible because of a small grove of apple trees. She used to go there a lot when she wanted to be alone or to think."
"Should I go check on her or wait until she wants to be found?" Klaus inquired having learned long ago that if someone wishes to be left alone, they usually have a reason for it."
Eda shrugged slightly, "How am I supposed to know? I'm not the one hiding out on a swing."
Klaus furrowed his brow and replied, "Well I thought you might know why she went to this hiding spot."
"I used to know every time but right now, I have no idea why she's hiding. Maybe she's thinking about breaking up with you."
"Glad you can just say that so breezily," Klaus commented dryly.
"Well I'm not the one she's breaking up with."
"You don't know that she's thinking about that!"
Eda nodded, "That's true. If I'm right though, just remember what I said about the badger."
"Thanks," Klaus said, turning to leave. "I'll keep that in mind."
He gave a small wave over his shoulder before exiting the greenhouse. Closing the door behind him, he ventured out to find the apple tree grove.